1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicles and, more particularly, to a thermoplastic structure and compression limiter for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide a structure such as a sub-frame for a vehicle. Typically, the sub-frame includes a plurality of components that are made of a metal material such as steel and welded together to form the sub-frame. The sub-frame is attached to a frame of the vehicle by suitable fasteners such as metal bolts. The sub-frame must meet structural requirements by having sufficient stiffness to support repeated loads commonly exerted by the vehicle. The sub-frame must also have sufficient impact strength to withstand cracking or breaking during impacts of the vehicle during crash events. Steel meets the structural requirements by providing sufficient stiffness and sufficient impact strength to satisfy the above requirements. However, the steel sub-frame is comprised of several individual components and the assembly of these components makes such a construction relatively expensive. Additionally, steel is a relatively heavy material, resulting in a relatively large mass.
Due to stringent fuel economy standards, vehicle manufactures are demanding mass saving initiatives. As such, there is a demand to reduce the weight of the vehicle, in particular the sub-frame, by utilizing lighter weight materials. However, in so reducing weight, it is necessary that the sub-frame provide sufficient stiffness and sufficient energy management on certain platforms to withstand the loads imposed thereon.
In addition, it is known that compression limiters are used with thermoplastic parts to prevent creep of the thermoplastic material. Typically, these compression limiters are made of metals, e.g., aluminum, steel, etc. In some vehicle applications, many compression limiters may be required. As such, these compression limiters may add substantial additional weight to the vehicle, thereby reducing fuel economy of the vehicle.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a new composite thermoplastic structure and composite compression limiter for a vehicle. It is also desirable to provide a composite thermoplastic structure and composite compression limiter that meets load and structural requirements of the vehicle. It is further desirable to provide a composite thermoplastic structure and composite compression limiter that reduces weight compared to conventional metal sub-frames and compression limiters for a vehicle. As such, there is a need in the art to provide a composite thermoplastic structure and composite compression limiter for a vehicle that meets at least one of these desires.